DOT

Looks like Greenpoint could be getting another park! The Open Space Alliance and the Department of Transportation are holding a meeting on June 28 to offer the community the chance to give input on possible open space usage underneath the Kosciuszko Bridge. They’ll also be hosting a tour of the proposed park site on June 24th, but the tour is capped at 25 people and currently full.

What’s the plan for the 2019 L Train shutdown? Do we have alternative transportation options? Tonight’s the night to voice your opinion and talk with community members about the upcoming L Train closure. The DOT and the MTA are hosting a series of community workshops, and NOW is the time to get involved before it’s too late!

Because we’re all natural skeptics, we’ll maintain the premise that no meek shall cross the pedestrian thoroughfare at Meeker Avenue. Then again, things in that area might get a little friendlier in 2016.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) will be making a few important new safety proposals to improve conditions at the pedestrian crossing, which include shorter crosswalks, wider sidewalks, improved signal timing, and clear lane designations. Continue reading →

If you happened to cross the Pulaski Bridge as of late, you might be wondering when we would be getting that loooong awaited dedicated bike lane. Well Greenpointers, the word is out and we won’t have to wait much longer. Starting September 13th, the Department of Transportation will finally begin construction.

The project, which has seen setback after setback, seems to have righted itself and commuters might have their own bike lane as early as the end of this year—might being the key word here.

Whether in driving a car or riding a bike, at some point or we all have experienced the hair-raising ride across Greenpoint Avenue’s treacherous J.J Byrne Memorial Bridge. For years we’ve watched on the edge of our seats as trucks hurdle over Newtown Creek barreling along at 70 mph, cars making the made dash to the LIE, and poor little bikers constantly getting nudged off the road (or worse, sideswiped) by someone not paying attention to the oddly placed bike lane. Thankfully all of that drama has come to an end with a little help from the DOT. Continue reading →

I live on “The Other Side of McGuinness,” in the quieter outskirts of the neighborhood where Greenpoint sooooort of meets Williamsburg, near McGolrick Park. Although I technically live in Greenpoint, I take the L train to get to work (I know, blasphemy!) and every day I have to cross Meeker Avenue at Kingsland. Usually I’m on my bike, but sometimes I’m on foot. Continue reading →

Earlier this week, much to our dismay, Governor Cuomo and the state legislature denied a request from Mayor de Blasio for 160 new speed cameras, which were an important part of eliminating traffic deaths via the Vision Zero plan.

A source told the Daily News that Cuomo didn’t want to give another budget victory to Mayor de Blasio (i.e. political squabbling replacing ACTUAL need for safety). Right now, according to Capital New York, NYC has a measly 20 speed cameras.

Courtesy of Vision Zero

On Monday, Right of Way, a safe-streets group, demanded immediate legislative action to get even more speed cameras. They would ideally like 1,000 to be installed on NYC streets, which was the recipe for success in Washington, D.C.

“Earlier this month, legislative leaders promised grieving parents organized by Families for Safe Streets that the new state budget would at least double the number of speed cameras in New York City,” said a representative from Right of Way. ” Instead, we got zero.”

We’ve gotten a lot of emails from Greenpointers who are being issued warnings for jaywalking across McGuinness and Nassau over the last few weeks, so we figured we’d do a little investigating.

The local precinct confirmed that they have been stationing there “because it’s an accident prone location,” especially given the recent tragic death of 32-year-old Nicole Detweiler, who was struck by a vehicle while crossing at the intersection in December.

However the reaction to the accident from the police department, almost 2 months after Detweiler was killed, has been inefficient at best and completely illogical at worst. Continue reading →

When opening a new bar, coming away with a positive experience from a community board meeting presided over by a group hawkishly vigilant of both new liquor licenses and rapidly-vanishing parking spaces is no small feat, especially if in addition to drinks you’re trying to serve up a new pedestrian plaza.

However, sitting down with Etan Fraiman, who recently opened bar/restaurant Battery Harris on the once-desolate corner of Frost & Meeker along with partner David Shapiro, makes it sound like the easiest thing in the world – all you need is a little help from the DOT and a willingness to see your business in the greater context of the streetscape.

The owners of Battery Harris were actually tipped off to the DOT’s Pedestrian Plaza Program by the community board itself, and had nothing but praise for the city agency that not so long ago was referred to by many as “the department of No” for their conservative attitude towards innovation in street design. Continue reading →

Via Greenpoint Gazette, traffic on Nassau will be running eastbound beginning Monday July 23rd. If my brain compass is working that means the opposite direction of how it is running now. I hope not to see anymore almost head on collisions.